Going back to last month when covering John Ottley's great success in Germany, I forgot to add that the stock was obtained from one of Germany's top Chinese Owl breeders and showmen, Fritz Rose. Unfortunately Fritz had to give up his beloved pigeons in 2001 due to contracting pigeon lung, and Fritz being a good friend of John gave him the chance of obtaining his top pigeons and, with John also being a talented fancier, the pigeons are now bearing fruit in England. Fritz still maintains an interest in pigeons and gains a tremendous amount of satisfaction from any success John gains.
This month I am covering the Turkish Tumbler, known by the locals as the Takla and has to be by far the most popular breed in Turkey. These pigeons are raised throughout the country for their tumbling skills and performance whereas other breeds tend to stay regional.
They come in many colours, also rosed, crested or double crested heads, although in recent years grizzles have been showing up which are frowned upon.
White is only acceptable colour in some formations, white self being one of them, also white tail markings and to a degree white head markings are also considered traditional. I say to a degree about the white head because it really isn't a bald head marking, more like a monk pattern on top of the head and only in certain varieties, or I should say birds, from certain regions. Each bird is called by the names and colour description and also this can be linked to the city of origin. Linked to the city you can get a good idea and indication of what type of Tumbler they are.
Quality of their performance is measured in several ways. As they are low flying birds it is clearly visible what they do in the air, this is usually the reason for many to select this breed.
All of them tumble while flying straight and most do a combination upstairs climb tumbling out. Only the good ones dive towards the loft and just before touching the ground make a helicopter-like upstairs climb towards the sky, legs stretched down as if they are trying to touch the ground, head down forward between wings. Looking down and ninety degrees to ground vertical take off, every two to three feet they tumble and keep going up.
